Barry Bonds: Worthy of the Hall

Barry Bonds established himself well before the 1998 season, which was when the steroids become known, according to the recent book, "Game of Shadows." The book states that Barry Bonds began using performance-enhancing drugs, including many different types of steroids and growth hormones, after the 1998 season; the same season Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa thrilled the world with their ongoing home run drama.

But Barry Bonds is different than Mark McGwire, and different than Sammy Sosa. Mark McGwire hit 238 home runs between his rookie year of 1986 and the 1994 season. Sammy Sosa hit 207 home runs in the same amount of time. But Barry Bonds? 334 home runs, far more than both McGwire and Sosa. Barry Bonds' scenario looked similar to this: As an extremely insecure person, Bonds saw McGwire and Sosa going crazy at the plate and couldn't take it. Why? Because he knew he was simply better than both of them, and they were taking credit as the major league's top hitters, an honor Bonds knew he deserved.

In no way am I defending Barry Bonds for using performance-enhancing drugs. I'm one who doesn't feel his single season home run record should count. And when he eventually passes Hank Aaron's all time record of 755 homeruns, I believe that lacks credibility. But to say that Barry Bonds is not a hall of famer, and Bonds as a baseball player lacks credibility, is where I feel he's being unfairly judged.